Hanger



L. E. TILLERY Oct. 5, 1965 HANGER Filed Oct. 8, 1962 a w m M m m V T m5 4 M W 0 Y B WW 3 United States Patent 3,209,965 HANGER Lowell E. Tillery, 7221 Lydia, Kansas City, Mo. Filed Oct. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 228,886 4 Claims. (Cl. 223-87) This invention relates to hangers, and more particularly, to garment hangers which may be quickly, easily and economically fabricated from a limited amount of sheet material.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a garment hanger which is fabricated from sheet material in the nature of paper, cardboard, plastic or the like, which garment hanger has a substantially triangular main panel, there being a pair of wings carried by said main panel, a tab connected to said main panel along the apex edge thereof, and a flap secured to said main panel along a line of fold at the base edge of said panel, said wings, tab and flap being foldable with respect to the main panel whereby the same may be secured in the desired position to form the finished hanger.

It is a yet further object of this invention to provide a garment hanger which has a hook carried thereby for suspending the hanger, the hook having the shank end thereof wrapped about a length of tube, the tube being secured to the hanger by the tab.

It is a yet further object of this invention, to provide a garment hanger wherein the flap adjacent the base edge of the main panel has a pair of arcuate, spaced-apart slits extending substantially transversely thereof, the slits cooperating to define a pair of opposed pockets at the bottom corners of the finished hanger, the pockets cooperating to receive a bar whereby garments in the nature of trousers or the like may be suspended from the hanger by placing the same between the bar and the fla-p of the finished hanger.

It is yet another aim of this invention, to provide a garment hanger having a hanger formed from a single sheet of cardboard material or the like, the hanger having a main panel of substantially triangular configuration, there being a wing secured to each of the side edges of the main panel through a line of fold; a tab secured to the apex edge of said main panel through a line of fold, there being slits separating the tab from the wings; and a flap secured to the base edge of the main panel through a line of fold, the wings, tab and fla having three edges opposite to the edges thereof which are secured to the main panel, the free edges being attachable to one surface of the main panel through adhesive whereby to define a finished hanger.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a hanger formed from a single sheet of bendable material which hanger, in its finished form, presents a pair of tubular wings and a tubular flap along the normally uppermost edge thereof, as well as a pair of tubular pockets at the normally lowermost edge thereof, said tubular pockets being defined by end portions of a flap connected to the main panel by a line of fold, said flap also having a centrally disposed tubular portion which lies in a plane different from that of the end portions and cooperates with a bar carried in the pockets defined by said end portions, to retain a garment with respect to the hanger, the tubular portions of the hanger imparting superior rigidity and strength to the over-all hanger.

Other objects of this invention include details of construction which will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the blank used to fabricate the hanger;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the hanger, parts being broken away to reveal details of construction;

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FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the hanger showing the side thereof opposite to that shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 2.

The hanger is broadly designated by the numeral 10, the hanger 10 being formed from a single sheet of material having the configuration of a blank 12 shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

Blank 12 is generally triangular in over-all configuration and includes a main panel 14 of substantially triangular configuration whereby to present a pair of side edges 16 and 18, an apex edge 20, and a base edge 22.

A pair of wings 24 and 26 are secured to main panel 14 along corresponding side edges 16 and 18 thereof, the wings 24 and 26 being secured to said edges 16 and 18 of the main panel 14 by lines of fold 28 and 30 respectively, which lines of fold are coincident with the edges 16 and 18.

A tab 32 is secured to the apex edge 20 of main panel 14 by a line of fold 34, the line of fold 34 being coincident with the apex edge 20 of main panel 14. A pair of slits 36 and 38 separate tab 32 from wings 24 and 26 respectively, thereby allowing tab 32 to swing freely with respect to main panel 14 along line of fold 34. An opening 40 is formed substantially centrally of tab 32 for purposes which will be hereinafter made apparent.

A flap 42 is secured to main panel 14 along the base edge 22 thereof by a line of fold 44, the line of fold being coincident with the base edge 22 of main panel 14. Slits 46 and 48 separate the outer end portions of flap 42 from the adjacent end portions of wings 24 and 26 respectively, whereby the flap 42 may be swung freely with respect to main panel 14 about line of fold 44. Flap 42 also has a pair of substantially arcuate, transversely extending, opposed slits 50 and 52 formed therein for purposes which will be hereinafter described. Flap 42 carries an extension 54 which is secured to the flap 42 by a line of fold 56 and wings 24 and 26 likewise carry extensions 58 and 60 respectively, which extensions are secured to their corresponding wings 24 and 26 through lines of fold 62 and 64 respectively. Extensions 58 and 60 present outer free edges 66 and 68 respectively; extension 54 of flap 42 presents an outer free edge 70; and tab 32 presents an outer free edge 72.

When the blank '12 is formed as by die cutting the same through a single operation from a single sheet of material, the wings 24 and 26 are pressed to provide a number of longitudinally extending lines of weakness 74, and the flap 42 is likewise pressed to present a number of longitudinally extending, parallel lines of weakness 76.

A hook 78 is provided for the hanger 10, the hook 78 having a shank portion 80 and a free end 82, the free end 82 of hook 78 being wrapped about a short length of tube 84 as is best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawings, whereby to tightly secure the shank 80 of hook 78 to the tube 84.

Subsequent to the die cutting of the blank 12, and in order that the same may be formed into a finished hanger, it is desirable that a suitable adhesive be applied to certain portions thereof, these portions including extensions 58 and 60 which have adhesive applied to one surface thereof; extension 54 which likewise has adhesive applied to one surface thereof; the uppermost apex portion 86 of tab 32 which has adhesive applied thereto; and there also being an application of adhesive to one surface of the main panel 14, the adhesive being applied to three strip areas thereof designated as 88, 90 and 92, said strip areas extending along the side edges and base edge of said main panel 14.

Once blank 12 has been prepared as above described,

the finished hanger may be quickly and easily fabricated therefrom, the initial step in such fabrication being to pass the hook 78 through hole 40 in tab 32 whereby the tube 84 is brought into engagement with the surface of tab 32 shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, allowing the hook 78 to extend outwardlyfrom the blank. It will be appreciated in this regard that hook 78 may be inserted through hole 40 either before or after the same has been formed to the configuration shown in FIG. 2, it being desirable in some instances to first secure a length of wire to the tube 84 and then insert the straight length of wire through opening 40 subsequently forming the curvature therein whereby to define the hook 78.

After the hook has been inserted as above described, tab 32 is folded along line of fold 34 whereby to bring the apex portion 86, which has been previously coated with adhesive, into engagement with the surface 94 of panel 14, that being the surface illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings. It will be appreciated that tab 32 may be freely swung to said position inasmuch as the tab 32 is separated from wings 24 and 26 by slits 36 and 38 respectively.

Subsequent to the above-described initial step of fabrication, the flap 42 is folded toward surface 94 of panel 14 whereby the adhesively coated extension 54 is brought into engagement with the adhesive area 92 whereby to secure the free edge 70 of flap 42 to the main panel 14. As flap 42 is so folded, the lines of weakness 76 formed therein allow the central portion of said flap 42, that is the portion disposed between slits 50 and 52, to be deformed upwardly whereby to assume a substantially V- shaped, transverse configuration which is best shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings inasmuch as the lines of weakness 76 allow said central portion of the flap 42 to be folded inwardly with respect to the base edge 22 of panel 14. On the other hand, the outermost end portions 96 and 98 of flap 42, which are defined primarily by slits 50 and .46 and 52 and 48 respectively, are bowed outwardly with respect to the base edge 22 of the panel 14, and also with respect to the central portion of flap 42, said end portions 96 and 98 each thereby assuming a tubular configuration and forming pockets 100 and 102 respectively, the pockets being disposed at the lowermost outer corners of the hanger 10.

Thus it is seen that, as extension 54 is brought into overlying engagement with strip area 92, and the same secured adhesively together throughout their length, flap 42 and its end portions 96 and 98 will initially assume a tubular configuration. However, to complete the fabrication of the hanger, flap 42 is then deformed upwardly, manually or otherwise, whereby to assume the transverse tubular configuration shown in FIG. 4, while end portions 96 and 98 retain their initial tubular configuration whereby to present opposed pockets 100 and 102, said opposed pockets being spaced in a plane below that of the center portion of the flap 42 which has been deformed upwardly.

To complete fabrication of the hanger 10, the wings 24 and 26 are each folded inwardly toward surface 94 of panel 14 by swinging the same along lines of fold 28 and 30 whereby to bring adhesive coated extensions 58 and 60 respectively, into engagement with adhesively coated areas 88 and 90 respectively, thereby securing the wings 24 and 26 ,to the main panel 14. As said wings are folded inwardly, the lines of weakness 74 extending longitudinally thereof, allow the said wings to assume a transversely arcuate configuration as shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings whereby a pair of rounded shoulders will be presented on each side of the hanger 10.

When the foregoing steps have been completed, the hanger 10 is completely assembled and ready for use, it being noted that the attachment of the various components carried by panel 14 is all on one surface 94 thereof whereby to present a neat appearing, opposed surface 104 which may carry advertising or the like. When fabricated as above described, the hanger 10 may be used to carry a dress or any other similar garment which is normally suspended from the shoulders of a hanger, but if it is desired to suspend a pair of trousers or the like from hanger 10, an elongated bar 106 has the end portions thereof received within corresponding pockets and 102 whereby to dispose the central portion of the bar 106 beneath the central portion of flap 42, it being appreciated that there will be a space such as 108 between the central portion of flap 42 and the bar 106 whereby a pair of trousers may be suspended from said bar and, held in a fixed position with respect to the hanger 10.

Thus, it will be appreciated that the hanger 10 may be utilized to either carry a garment such as a skirt, shirt or the like, which is suspended from the shoulders of the hanger, but that when it is desired to utilize hanger 10 to carry a pair of trousers or the like, the bar 106 may be inserted and the trousers suspended therefrom. The use of a hanger such as above described results in economies, inasmuch as the expense of adding the bar 106 to the hanger 10 is not incurred in every instance, but is only brought about when it is necessary to use such a bar.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patentis:

1. .A hanger formed from a single sheet of foldable taterial and comprising a main panel; a hook coupled to said main panel for suspending the hanger; and a longitudinally extending flap secured to said main panel along the normally lowermost edgethereof by a line of fold, said flap having an extension spaced from said line of fold secured to said main panel and presenting a tubular stretch along the normally lowermost edge of said hanger, there being a pair of transverse spaced apart slits formed in said flap defining a central tubular portion and a pair of tubular end portions, said end portions lying in a different plane than said central portion.

2. A hanger as set forth in claim 1, there being pockets defined by said end portions, said portions extending outwardly from said main panel, the central portion of said flap extending inwardly toward said panel.

3. A hanger as set forth in claim 2, said pockets each receiving a corresponding end of an elongated bar, the portion of said bar between said ends normally being in underlying relationship to said central portion of the flap.

4. A hanger as set forth in claim 3, said slits being arcuate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Examiner. 

1. A HANGER FORMED FROM A SINGLE SHEET OF FOLDABLE MATERIAL AND COMPRISING A MAIN PANEL; A HOOK COUPLED TO SAID MAIN PANEL FOR SUSPENDING THE HANGER; AND A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FLAP SECURED TO SAID MAIN PANEL ALONG THE NORMALLY LOWERMOST EDGE THEREOF BY A LINE OF FOLD, SAID FLAP HAVING AN EXTENSION SPACED FROM SAID LINE OF FOLD SECURED TO SAID MAIN PANEL AND PRESETNING A TUBULAR STRETCH ALONG THE NORMALLY LOWERMOST EDGE OF SAID HANGER, THERE BEING A PAIR OF TRANSVERSE SPACED APART SLITS FORMED IN SAID FLAP DEFINING A CENTRAL TUBULAR PORTION AND A PAIR OF TUBULAR END PORTIONS, SAID END PORTIONS LYING IN A DIFFERENT PLANE THAN SAID CENTRAL PORTION. 